Substrate holding apparatus and method for shape metrology

ABSTRACT

An apparatus and method for uniformly holding a substrate without flexure or bending of the substrate, thereby enabling accurate shape measurements of the substrate such as wafer curvature, z-height values and other surface characteristics. Techniques include using a liquid as a supporting surface for a substrate thereby providing uniform support. Liquid used has a same specific gravity of a substrate being supported so that the substrate can float on the liquid without sinking. Uniform support of the substrate enables precision metrology.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a Divisional application of U.S.Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No. 16/357,543, filed on Mar.19, 2019, which claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent ApplicationNo. 62/645,128 filed on Mar. 19, 2018, the entire contents of which areherein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This relates to holding substrates such as wafers for various processingand metrology techniques.

Processing of semiconductor wafers includes many different steps. Thesecan include, coating a wafer, exposing a wafer to a pattern of actinicradiation, etching materials, depositing materials, cleaning a wafersurface, measuring structures, electrical testing, and packaging. Eachprocess step typically needs the wafer to be securely or sufficientlyheld for a given process.

SUMMARY

During semiconductor fabrication, it is common for various measurementsof wafers to be executed to improve microfabrication and implementprocess control. Conventional metrology techniques include measuringcharacteristics of a substrate such as critical dimension (CD)deviations, film thickness, artifact deposits, et cetera. Emergingmetrology and process control techniques include correcting wafer bow orcurvature. Accurately measuring curvatures on the nanometer scale,however, is challenging because conventional substrate holdingmechanisms induce or enable a degree of curvature.

Techniques herein provide an apparatus and method for uniformly holdinga substrate without bowing so that shape measurements such as wafercurvature, z-height values and other surface characteristics can beaccurately measured. Techniques include using a liquid as a supportingsurface for a substrate thereby providing uniform support. Conventionalsubstrate supports use a vacuum chuck or edge supports. While suchsupports can be adequate for some processing such as cleaning andetching, such supports permit gravitational bending of a given substratemaking shape measurement difficult. By selecting a liquid having a samespecific gravity as that of a given substrate being supported, the givensubstrate can float on the liquid without sinking. Such a holdingmechanism herein improves metrology precision.

Of course, the order of discussion of the different steps as describedherein has been presented for clarity sake. In general, these steps canbe performed in any suitable order. Additionally, although each of thedifferent features, techniques, configurations, etc. herein may bediscussed in different places of this disclosure, it is intended thateach of the concepts can be executed independently of each other or incombination with each other. Accordingly, the present invention can beembodied and viewed in many different ways.

Note that this summary section does not specify every embodiment and/orincrementally novel aspect of the present disclosure or claimedinvention. Instead, this summary only provides a preliminary discussionof different embodiments and corresponding points of novelty overconventional techniques. For additional details and/or possibleperspectives of the invention and embodiments, the reader is directed tothe Detailed Description section and corresponding figures of thepresent disclosure as further discussed below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete appreciation of various embodiments of the invention andmany of the attendant advantages thereof will become readily apparentwith reference to the following detailed description considered inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. The drawings are notnecessarily to scale, with emphasis instead being placed uponillustrating the features, principles and concepts.

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate holding apparatus priorto receiving a substrate according to embodiments disclosed herein.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate holding apparatusholding a substrate according to embodiments disclosed herein.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate holding apparatusholding a substrate according to embodiments disclosed herein.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate holding apparatus priorto receiving a substrate according to embodiments disclosed herein.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate holding apparatusholding a substrate according to embodiments disclosed herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Techniques herein provide an apparatus and method for uniformly holdinga substrate without bowing of the substrate so that shape measurementssuch as wafer curvature, z-height values and other surfacecharacteristics can be accurately measured. Techniques include using aliquid as a supporting surface for a substrate. The liquid providesuniform support.

Conventional substrate supports typically use a vacuum chuck or edgesupports. While such supports can be adequate for some processing suchas cleaning and etching, these conventional supports enablegravitational bending of a given substrate making shape measurementdifficult. For example, if a substrate (such as a circular wafer) issupported by a relatively small vacuum chuck, then the pull of gravitycan cause bending. For example, a given vacuum chuck may attach to acenter portion of a backside surface of a substrate. This given vacuumchuck may contact less than about 20% of a surface area of thesubstrate. With center support and no edge support, the edges of thewafer can deflect due to gravity. In other words, a weight of thesubstrate itself can cause bending with the edges bending downwardly. Inpractice, such bending might not be noticeable to the human eye, but onthe microscopic scale such bending can be significant when attempting tomeasure characteristics with values in the hundreds, tens, or evensingle digit nanometers.

Bending also occurs with edge-supported substrates. Once again, with thesubstrate being relatively thin, the weight of the substrate itself cancause bending when held at a periphery of the substrate. This time, acenter portion of a substrate can deflect downwardly.

Thus, substrate bending can occur in various sizes of vacuum chucks. Oneoption to address this issue is to use a smaller chuck or weaker holdingforce. Unfortunately, using a smaller chuck or weaker holding force canchange a wafer shape or permit location changes from substrate motion.

Techniques herein provide uniform substrate support, with nogravitational sag, which enables precision measurements of a substratesurface. Techniques herein include using a liquid to support a givensubstrate. The liquid can be contained within a container or basin.Preferably a liquid is selected that matches a specific gravity of aparticular substrate to be supported. Matching a specific gravity of thesubstrate and liquid means that the substrate can partially sink intothe liquid, while still floating on the liquid. Any of various liquidscan be selected. For example, a heavy oil such as dibromomethane or itsderivative can be used. For supporting semiconductor substrates(wafers), such oils can have a similar specific gravity with silicon.Other example liquids can include salted water that contains zincbromide or other additives to result in a desired specific gravity. Agiven liquid can be selected to have a relatively high viscosity byappropriate liquid selection or by including additives, such asglycerol, that increase viscosity. As can be appreciated, many types ofliquids can be selected and various additives included to result in aliquid of a desired specific gravity.

Using a specific gravity matched liquid for support provides uniformsupport of a backside surface of the substrate, yet substrate motion canstill occur. Measurement precision can be increased by preventingadditional movement of the substrate, such as from fluid movement. Suchan additional securing mechanism can include using a vacuum chuck thatis relatively small to minimize wafer distortion. A given holding forcecan be minimized for semiconductor wafers because of their low weight.Alternative mechanisms include edge supports primarily to preventlateral movement of a substrate while the substrate is uniformlysupported by a liquid.

In some embodiments, a relatively thin membrane can be used to separatethe substrate from the liquid. In such embodiments, the substrate isresting on the membrane, which in turn is resting on the liquid. Themembrane can be selected to be flexible and thin so that the substrateis still supported by the liquid, and the membrane merely separates theliquid from the substrate to prevent wetting of the substrate. If themembrane is sufficiently thin and/or flexible then the substrate canpartially sink into the liquid until a top surface of the substrate isat a same level as a top surface of the liquid.

Referring now to FIG. 1, one embodiment includes an apparatus 100 forholding a substrate, such as a wafer. The apparatus 100 includes acontainer 110 configured for holding a liquid 115. The container 110defines a top opening such that when the container is holding theliquid, a top surface of the liquid is accessible to substrate placementon the top surface of the liquid and substrate removal from the topsurface of the liquid. The container can be any type of basin or tubconfigured for holding a liquid. The apparatus 100 can have a topenclosure with a side opening (not shown) for placement and retrieval ofa substrate. Various form factors can be created. The apparatus includesa substrate handling mechanism 140 configured to place a substrate 105on the top surface of the liquid 115 and remove the substrate from thetop surface of the liquid. Substrate handling mechanism 140 can beembodied using various handling arms and mechanisms.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, a substrate holding mechanism isconfigured to prevent movement of the substrate 105 when resting on thetop surface of the liquid 115. Such a substrate holding mechanism can bevacuum chuck 120 and/or edge supports 122. The substrate 105 is stillsupported on a bottom surface of the substrate by liquid 115, but toprevent movement of the substrate across the liquid a rigid holdingmechanism can be used. Such a vacuum chuck 120 can then attach to abottom surface of the substrate. A strong chucking force is not neededtypically. The vacuum chuck can contact a surface area that isrelatively small such as less than ten percent or five percent of thesurface area of the substrate backside. Of course larger chucking areascan be used. Substrate measuring can benefit from a relatively smallchucking area so that most of the substrate is supported by the liquidfor uniform support, which liquid prevents gravitational bending. Anedge support 122 can be used in place of, or in addition to, a vacuumchuck to prevent lateral movement across the liquid and/or help quicklystabilize any movement of the fluid from placement.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 5, a membrane 125 can be positioned on thetop surface of the liquid 115, separating the substrate 105 from theliquid. With such a membrane 125, the substrate 105 can remain dry ornot oily (depending on the liquid used). The membrane 125 can havesufficient flexibility or slack to permit the wafer to partially sinkinto the liquid. This membrane can be flexible enough that the substratecan sink partially into the liquid, and have a top surface of thesubstrate and a top surface of the wafer in plane with each other orapproximately level with each other. FIG. 4 shows apparatus 100 prior toplacement of substrate 105 on the membrane 125, while FIG. 5 illustratessubstrate support using the liquid 115 with membrane 125 separating thesubstrate from the liquid.

The liquid can be selected to have a specific gravity that matches aspecific gravity of the substrate. In other words, a specific gravity ofthe liquid is approximately equal to a specific gravity of thesubstrate.

The apparatus can include a measuring device 150 configured to measure ashape of the top surface of the substrate while the substrate is held onthe top surface of the liquid (with or without an intermediarymembrane). Such shape measurement can include, for example, collectingrelative z-height values across the working surface of the substrate toform a map of z-height deviations. Shape measurement can include mappingbow or curvature of a substrate either globally or locally. Variousconventional metrology devices can be positioned above the container tomeasure the working surface of the substrate.

Another embodiment includes an apparatus for holding a substrate. Thisapparatus includes a container configured for holding a liquid. Thecontainer defines a top opening such that when the container is holdingthe liquid, a top surface of the liquid is accessible to substrateplacement and substrate removal. A membrane is positioned in thecontainer and configured to be in contact with the liquid when thecontainer is holding liquid. A substrate handling mechanism isconfigured to place a substrate on the membrane and remove the substratefrom the membrane. The membrane is sufficiently flexible to permit thesubstrate to at least partially sink into the liquid, and thus benefitfrom uniform fluid support of the entire backside surface of thesubstrate. The apparatus can include a substrate holding mechanismconfigured to prevent movement of the substrate when resting on themembrane and being supported by the liquid.

In alternative embodiments, liquid is selected for use that has aspecific gravity of the liquid that is equal to or greater than aspecific gravity of the substrate. The substrate holding mechanism caninclude a vacuum chuck configured to attach to a bottom surface of thesubstrate while the substrate rests on the liquid. In place of, or inaddition to, the vacuum chuck, the substrate holding mechanism caninclude a perimeter support that contacts the substrate at a peripheryof the substrate and that prevents lateral movement across the membranewhile the substrate is resting on the membrane. The apparatus caninclude a measurement device configured to measure curvature of a frontside surface of the substrate while the substrate is held on themembrane, and or measure other wafer characteristics such as z-height atcoordinate locations on a surface of the substrate.

Other embodiments include a method for holding a substrate. In such amethod, a first liquid is provided in a container. The container definesan opening sufficiently large to receive a substrate. A membrane ispositioned in the container such that the membrane is in contact with atop surface of the first liquid. The substrate is positioned on themembrane in the container. The membrane is selected to be sufficientlyflexible such that the substrate can at least partially sink into thefirst liquid. The substrate can be secured to prevent lateral movementof the substrate while the substrate is supported by the first liquidfor surface measurements of the substrate.

The first liquid can be selected and/or modified to have a specificgravity of the first liquid that matches a specific gravity of thesubstrate, or that has a specific gravity equal to or greater than aspecific gravity of the substrate. A second liquid can be added to thefirst liquid in the container. The second liquid increasing a viscosityof the first liquid. The substrate can be secured using a vacuum chuckthat attaches to a bottom surface of the substrate, with the vacuumchuck contacting less than ten percent of a surface area of a bottomsurface of the substrate. Securing the substrate can include using aperimeter support mechanism configured to prevent lateral movement ofthe substrate when supported by the first liquid. Methods can furtherinclude measuring curvature values of the substrate while supported onthe first liquid, measuring z-height values of a top surface of thesubstrate at coordinate locations across the substrate while thesubstrate is supported on the first liquid, or measuring othercharacteristics of the substrate or devices thereon.

Another embodiment includes a method for holding a substrate. In thismethod, a first liquid is provided in a container. The container definesan opening sufficiently large to receive a substrate. The substrate ispositioned on the first liquid in the container. The substrate issecured to prevent lateral movement of the substrate while the substrateis resting on the first liquid. Providing the first liquid in thecontainer can include selecting the first liquid to have a specificgravity that matches a specific gravity of the substrate, or that isequal to or greater than a specific gravity of the substrate. A secondliquid can be added to the first liquid in the container. The secondliquid increasing a viscosity of the first liquid. Securing thesubstrate can include using a vacuum chuck that attaches to a bottomsurface of the substrate, with the vacuum chuck contacting less than tenpercent of a surface area of a bottom surface of the substrate. Securingthe substrate can include using a perimeter support mechanism configuredto prevent lateral movement of the substrate when supported by the firstliquid. Methods can also include measuring surface characteristics ofthe substrate while supported on the first liquid.

Techniques herein also include a method for holding a substrate and amethod for measuring a substrate. Such a method includes providing afirst liquid in a container. The container defining an openingsufficiently large to receive a substrate. Positioning a membrane in thecontainer such that the membrane is in contact with a top surface of thefirst liquid. Positioning the substrate on the membrane in thecontainer. The membrane is selected to be sufficiently flexible suchthat the substrate is supported by the first liquid. Optionally themembrane is omitted and the substrate is placed directly on the liquid.The substrate is secured to prevent lateral movement of the substratewhile the substrate is supported by the first liquid.

The first liquid in the container includes selecting the first liquid tohave a specific gravity that matches a specific gravity of thesubstrate, or that is equal to or greater than a specific gravity of thesubstrate. A second liquid can be added to the first liquid in thecontainer. The second liquid increases a viscosity of the first liquid.A vacuum chuck, other securing devices as described above, or otherconventional securing devices can be used. The method can includeexecuting various metrology operations such as measuring curvaturevalues of the substrate while supported on the first liquid, measuringz-height values of a top surface of the substrate at coordinatelocations across the substrate while the substrate is supported on thefirst liquid, or measuring other surface characteristics of thesubstrate while supported on the first liquid.

In the preceding description, specific details have been set forth, suchas a particular geometry of a processing system and descriptions ofvarious components and processes used therein. It should be understood,however, that techniques herein may be practiced in other embodimentsthat depart from these specific details, and that such details are forpurposes of explanation and not limitation. Embodiments disclosed hereinhave been described with reference to the accompanying drawings.Similarly, for purposes of explanation, specific numbers, materials, andconfigurations have been set forth in order to provide a thoroughunderstanding. Nevertheless, embodiments may be practiced without suchspecific details. Components having substantially the same functionalconstructions are denoted by like reference characters, and thus anyredundant descriptions may be omitted.

Various techniques have been described as multiple discrete operationsto assist in understanding the various embodiments. The order ofdescription should not be construed as to imply that these operationsare necessarily order dependent. Indeed, these operations need not beperformed in the order of presentation. Operations described may beperformed in a different order than the described embodiment. Variousadditional operations may be performed and/or described operations maybe omitted in additional embodiments.

“Substrate” or “target substrate” as used herein generically refers toan object being processed in accordance with the invention. Thesubstrate may include any material portion or structure of a device,particularly a semiconductor or other electronics device, and may, forexample, be a base substrate structure, such as a semiconductor wafer,reticle, or a layer on or overlying a base substrate structure such as athin film. Thus, substrate is not limited to any particular basestructure, underlying layer or overlying layer, patterned orun-patterned, but rather, is contemplated to include any such layer orbase structure, and any combination of layers and/or base structures.The description may reference particular types of substrates, but thisis for illustrative purposes only.

Those skilled in the art will also understand that there can be manyvariations made to the operations of the techniques explained abovewhile still achieving the same objectives of the invention. Suchvariations are intended to be covered by the scope of this disclosure.As such, the foregoing descriptions of embodiments of the invention arenot intended to be limiting. Rather, any limitations to embodiments ofthe invention are presented in the following claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A method for holding a semiconductor wafer,the method comprising: providing a first liquid in a container, thecontainer defining an opening sufficiently large to receive thesemiconductor wafer; positioning a membrane in the container such thatthe membrane is in direct contact with a top surface of the firstliquid; positioning the semiconductor wafer on the membrane in thecontainer such that the semiconductor wafer is in direct contact withthe membrane, the membrane being selected to be sufficiently flexiblesuch that the semiconductor wafer can at least partially sink into thefirst liquid; and measuring a shape of a front side surface of thesemiconductor wafer while the semiconductor wafer is positioned on themembrane, a backside surface of the semiconductor wafer being in contactwith the membrane, the backside surface opposite the front side surface,measuring the shape of the first side surface including generating a mapof z-height values across the front side surface of the semiconductorwafer.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the first liquid inthe container includes selecting the first liquid to have a specificgravity of the first liquid that matches a specific gravity of thesemiconductor wafer.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein providing thefirst liquid in the container includes selecting the first liquid tohave a specific gravity of the first liquid that is equal to or greaterthan a specific gravity of the semiconductor wafer.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising adding a second liquid to the first liquidin the container, the second liquid increasing a viscosity of the firstliquid.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the membrane is selected thatis sufficiently flexible to permit the top surface of the first liquidand the front side surface of the semiconductor wafer to be level witheach other.
 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: securing thesemiconductor wafer to prevent lateral movement of the semiconductorwafer while the semiconductor wafer is positioned on the membrane andsupported by the first liquid.
 7. The method of claim 6, whereinsecuring the semiconductor wafer to prevent lateral movement of thesemiconductor wafer includes using a perimeter support that contacts thesemiconductor wafer at a periphery of the semiconductor wafer and thatprevents the lateral movement across the membrane while thesemiconductor wafer is resting on the first liquid.
 8. The method ofclaim 6, wherein securing the semiconductor wafer to prevent the lateralmovement of the semiconductor wafer including using a vacuum chuck thatattaches to the backside surface of the semiconductor wafer, the vacuumchuck contacting less than the percent of a surface area of the backsidesurface of the semiconductor wafer.
 9. A method for holding asemiconductor wafer, the method comprising; providing a first liquid ina container, the container defining an opening sufficiently large toreceive the semiconductor wafer; positioning a membrane in the containersuch that the membrane is in direct contact with a top surface of thefirst liquid; positioning the semiconductor wafer on the membrane in thecontainer such that the semiconductor wafer is in direct contact withthe membrane, the membrane being selected to be sufficiently flexiblesuch that the semiconductor wafer can at least partially sink into thefirst liquid; and measuring a curvature of a front side surface of thesemiconductor wafer while the semiconductor wafer is positioned on themembrane, a backside surface of the semiconductor wafer being in contactwith the membrane, the backside surface opposite the front side surface,measuring the curvature of the front side surface including measuringrelative z-height values at coordinate locations on the front sidesurface of the semiconductor wafer while the semiconductor wafer issupported by the first liquid.
 10. The method of claim 9, whereinproviding the first liquid in the container includes selecting the firstliquid to have a specific gravity of the first liquid that matches aspecific gravity of the semiconductor wafer.
 11. The method of claim 9,wherein providing the first liquid in the container includes selectingthe first liquid to have a specific gravity of the first liquid that isequal to or greater than a specific gravity of the semiconductor wafer.12. The method of claim 9, further comprising adding a second liquid tothe first liquid in the container, the second liquid increasing aviscosity of the first liquid.
 13. The method of claim 9, wherein themembrane is selected that is sufficiently flexible to permit the topsurface of the first liquid and the front side surface of thesemiconductor wafer to be level with each other.
 14. The method of claim9, further comprising: securing the semiconductor wafer to preventlateral movement of the semiconductor wafer while the semiconductorwafer is positioned on the membrane and supported by the first liquid.